Captain America: Long Forgotten Sons
by Prime Fiction
Summary: Part of Marvel Infinite: Welcome to Pax Americana, the once city of the future. Now it is a no man's land disconnected from the rest of its country under the control of Grand Director William Burnside. Now only one man can bring peace, dignity and justice to this city, the once hero of the future, Captain America. But the question lies, does he want to?
1. Chapter 1

**Captain America: Long Forgotten Sons**

" **Awake Too Long" Part One By Joey West**

* * *

Small waves hit the shore, their very touch softening the sand, cooling it down under the scorching hot sun which pokes from the methane skies. They create a soothing sound amongst the chaos, the screaming, the shouting, the crying. Gunfire begins to drown it all out, until it stops, and then the gunfire stopping. A loud bang. Tiny rocks roll from the sand, once parts of statues or walls, now broken and let out into the wild sea. A loud crunching approaches an unconscious man who lays, drenched in sea water. Covered in blood, his chest slowly rises and falls, he struggles to breathe. He awakens, grabbing the now stained grey star on his chest and coughing up an insane amount of water. Opening his eyes he gazes in shock at the ash clouds, but he tries to reach to the sun, his fingers clenching at it. He's completely soaked in water, his hair, his clothes, his gun drenched. His gun hangs from his finger, the barrel smothered in blood, matching a small white section on his abdomen. It's dragged away, kicked into the flowing waves by a dark green boot. His hand begins to move, his arm lifting and putting pressure on a head wound. Groaning, he tries to get up, but his spine gives out on him, throwing him back to the floor with a soft thud. Some voices are heard from above, but he keeps his attention on the sun as it disappears, fades into the black.

"… _coming up on 20th Century Radio, we have complete coverage of the founding of the new city a bridge away from our very own NYC. The government have decided to name it Pax Americana, a symbol of peace after the hardships of war…"_

"… _it seems their plan is to stop the spread of communism…"_

"… _our goal is not the victory of might, but the vindication of right; not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom, here in this hemisphere, and, we hope, around the world…"_

"… _Lee Harvey Oswald, the suspected shooter of John F Kennedy was shot an hour ago by a man named Jack Ruby…"_

"… _President Nixon has resigned…"_

"… _celebrations have begun for the collapse of the Berlin wall…"_

"… _the North Tower…"_

"… _Barack Obama has been elected…"_

"… _what seemed like a normal day in Pax Americana was turned upside down when what people are saying was a super-human attack destroyed almost half of the city…"_

"… _we are now hearing that Pax Americana has been cut off from the rest of the United States of America, under the leadership of General William Burnside…"_

"… _sources from within Pax Americana are saying that the now independent city has been transformed into a police state, under the watchful eyes of William Burnside's super soldiers, the Watchdogs…"_

* * *

 **The City of Pax Americana**

What's your idea of peace? Or how it can be achieved? Achieved through people putting aside their differences and learning to live together in world without major conflict? Achieved through the different being completely annihilated by a "master race"? Achieved by everyone having guns to their heads?

Constant explosions disrupt the Pax Americana night, Captain America, dressed in a full-face mask and Kevlar armour leaps from the window of an abandoned car park, turning in mid air and firing his pistol without even thinking. A group of heavily armoured super-soldiers drop after him. He hits one, the other still chasing the Sentinel of Liberty. The wind shatters as the Captain scrapes the sky, falling, the hard sidewalk coming closer and closer. He pulls his shield from his back, throwing it at the super soldier, hitting him in the face with a painful clang. It's swooped away in mid-air by a red blur, the Captain looks down, the sidewalk now reaching for him. Thud. He's grabbed, now literally flying in the air. He looks up, Sam Wilson, the Falcon laughs. He hums "Can you feel the love tonight?", the Captain chuckling.

 _Seventy years ago, the American government decided to found a new city following the end of World War Two. They named it Pax Americana, a symbol of peace for the country.  
_  
"Asshole." Captain America jokes. Wilson descends closer to a building, letting the Captain down, who instantly begins to run. He looks behind, a group of super-soldiers running across the near buildings, heading right to him. The Captain jumps off the small building, using his shield to take the fall. Rolling as he hits the ground, he breaks the lock off a garage door, which is marked with the colours of his shield. A group of Watchdog super soldiers head from around the corner, missing the Captain who hides in the garage, but not for long. The garage door flings open, the Captain revving his Harley Davidson and taking off.

"AFTER THE BASTARD, NOW!"

 _Over the span of so many years, the city degenerated into a crime ridden citywide ghetto._

A group of Watchdogs enter a black truck, the Captain turning around for a split second and shooting out the tyres. Two Watchdogs on motorcycles ride past the truck, coming after the Captain, machine gun bullets tearing through the air. Putting his hand to his earpiece, he utters, "Sam". The Falcon gracefully swoops down and flies between the two motorcyclists, hitting them both simultaneously with batons. They swoon and fall, The Falcon returning to the skies.

"CUT THE CHECK!" Falcon screeches in glee, but is cut short when a constant whirring is heard. A helicopter.

 _It culminated in an attack of the superhuman variety, and the city being turned into a police state cut off from the US, and overseen by General William Burnside and his super soldier army of Watchdogs.  
_  
A spotlight falls upon Captain America, as well as machine gun fire. The brakes screech, the helicopter descending low enough to where he can make a leap, and he does. Jumping into the open end of the helicopter, he lands a punch on one of the gunmen, as well as dropping something. Jumping out, the Watchdogs don't have enough time to process the fact that there is a grenade in their helicopter before being blown up into a fiery ball of metal, glass and scorched bones. Landing on a Watchdog truck, he tears through the roof with his shield, throwing the driver and the passenger out and making his escape. Reaching a certain point in the city, he kicks open the door and then slides under a manhole cover, before the soldiers even notice.

* * *

 **The Bunker, Under Pax Americana**

A dark haired boy polishes a combat knife, looking at his reflection in the shiny metal. He wears a domino mask, a navy blue bulletproof vest and matching camo pants, his holster filled with a thick black glock. He hears a sound, drawing his gun and investigating, the Captain and Falcon entering. They laugh and joke, the kid holstering his gun.

"Bucky."

"Cap. Did'ya get it?"

"Yep. We got it, alright."

"The big map-thing, courtesy of a Mr. Sam Wilson."

The Falcon plants something on the table, it turning into a giant holographic map of a prison. The Captain removes his mask, pointing at a certain cell.

"Cell 34, that's where we'll find him."

"If you notice, that side wall is pretty weak, and the other side of it isn't too far from where our good friend is being held. If we blow that in, we could take out a few guards and make our job a lot easier."

"Good thinking, kid."

"They don't call me Bucky for nothing."

Cap and Falcon turn to Bucky, both speaking in synchronisation, "That made no sense whatsoever." Cap then shifts his focus to the Falcon, who was still quite giddy.

"Sam, you kept the chopper in good condition?"

* * *

 **Wyndam Prison**  
 _  
Wyndam, it was originally used for war criminals, but ever since Burnside took Pax, he's been using it as his own little closet to hold anyone who dares show his little defiance in his little regime. We're going to break into it.  
_  
"…and the protests continue for the freedom of Pax Americana, President Obama making no comment on the situation…"

The radio blares out in the CCTV room, two Watchdog soldiers with their feet up watch the activity in each and every cell of the prison. The door creaks slightly, one of them turning and looking but returning to watching the screens. It creaks again, this time louder. They both pull out their shotguns and investigate, heading over to the door. One pulls at it while the other watches, oblivious to the fact that Bucky is climbing out of the air vent. The Captain's sidekick tiptoes over there, grabbing their heads and smacking them together, rendering the both of them unconscious. He then swings into the rotating chair, spinning for a while and then touching his ear.

"Alrighty, then. Er—" He surveys the screens, looking for any guards on patrol. "—yep you're clear. I'll unlock the cells as soon as things go boom."

From far above, Captain America watches from a helicopter, staring at the guards who haven't noticed the flying machine just yet. Falcon turns to his friend.

"You sure you wanna do this?"

"Yep. These people need someone to inspire them, and I can't be that."

"Mhm, well—y'know… you wear a mask, he wears a mask. You can wear his mask, that'll work, right?"

"Shut up and take the shot."

"A-ight. Just don't fudge this up."

Sam Wilson shifts the chopper, putting it at an angle. He presses some controls, putting his finger on the trigger.

"Cut. The…"

He fires a missile right into one of the prison walls, blowing a hole in it, taking out a few guards in the process. Captain America leaps out, this time with a parachute.

"…CHECK!"

Falcon looks back, chuckling, "I have to admit, that's probably one of my best cut the check moments…" He then notices his friend's absence, throwing his arms up in the air. A sound similar to heavy rain falls across Sam Wilson, turret-fire. "Shit." A flame begins to form in the back of the helicopter, Sam's eyes widening as he quickly lunges out of the chopper before it blows up in a ball of smoke.

"Er—Cap?"

"Yep?"

"The chopper, they blew it up…"

"I know."

The Captain smashes a lock in one of the side doors, swinging it open to find a large man in his way, who grabs his head, smashing it against the wall. He drops his shield, being choked. Moving his hand from the man's colossal arm, he reaches for his gun in his side holster, shooting the giant in his side. After a forward roll, he grabs his shield, blocking a punch with his thin adamantium guard. Grabbing his hand, the man is distracted enough for Captain America to throw his mighty shield at his face, knocking him out instantly.

"…we are getting signs of what seems to be a prison break in Pax Americana's infamous Wyndam Prison…"

In the control room, Bucky turns the radio up a notch, spinning on the rotating chair until he gets slightly dizzy. A fizzing is heard, Bucky pressing a button, the Captain's voice beginning to appear in the incredibly loud speakers.

"Bucky. You got that key?"

"Er—" Bucky pulls a small key from one of the unconscious guards. "Yep—I think so…"

"I'm approaching the cell."

"Want me to activate it now?"

"Sam, has the fire cleared up?"

"Yep."

"Clear a path for the prisoners."

"Will do."

The Captain runs along a row of cells, most of the prisoners peering their heads through, following the Captain in his red white and blue armour with their eyes. One chuckles in confusion. Watching the cell numbers as he looks up, Captain America counts under his breath, "29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34" He smiles under his mask, putting his fingers to his ear. "Bucky, let these men out." With a loud alert, all of the cell doors open, the prisoners exiting, incredibly relieved. The Captain looks at the broken man in Cell 34. He has muscles the size of skyscrapers, his hair blonde, his face aged but not as much as you'd think. He wears a white tank top, a dusty American flag in tatters lying in the corner of his room. He dares not to look at the Captain. An old radio sits on a makeshift shelf on the opposite wall. Captain America enters, Steve Rogers looking up at him, angrily.

"Steve. Come on, it's time to go home."

"… _and we would like to thank you all in joining us for over 100 years of 20th Century Radio, in my seventy years here, I have met a lot of people, had some great times and made a lot of friends. It has been an honour to be a part of this legacy. We would also say thank you to those listening right here right now, on the day of our last broadcast. This is Joe Kirby, and for the last time, America… goodnight."_

 _Fssshhhhhhh..._

* * *

 ** _To be continued..._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Captain America: Long Forgotten Sons**

 **"Awake Too Long" Part Two By Joey West**

* * *

"I hope you understand the situation you're in Captain Rogers. You've committed treason, my friend. Treason. You're a war criminal, an ex-patriate. You've betrayed everything you stand for... and all for what, huh? A couple of goddamn japs, that's what. You almost lost the war for-"

"I almost lost the war for us, did I? You're funny, Burnside. Just in that half-a-sentence, you've forgotten what this is all about." Steve Rogers sits, bandaged up and in his tattered Captain America suit, across from William Burnside. Burnside is a tall and slender man, small wrinkles cover his face, circular glasses with a silver frame sit on his nose and a bit of grey grows on his temples. "It was never about winning or national pride. It was about stopping the death of millions of innocent people... and with what you just did- I didn't betray everything we stood for. You did. Now where the hell is my partner!?"

Burnside smirks, at the moment he thought he'd lost the war of words between the two, the Captain gave him back his ace in the hole. The man leans forward, "I assume you mean Mr. Barnes?"

"Bucky. Yes."

"I'm afraid your little mutiny has cost James Buchanan Barnes his life."

Steve goes into silence, he puffs into his hand as it slaps into his face. The Captain's face grows red, trying to hold the tears in, he sighs. He throws his body back into the chair, the handcuffs pulling him back forward. Burnside speaks once more, "And you want to know the best part of it, Steve? You couldn't even stop us- and now you're going to spend the rest of your life locked up. How about that?"

* * *

 **SEVENTY YEARS LATER**

 **Wyndam Prison, Just Outside Pax Americana**

An older William Burnside paces across the burned and broken ruins of Wyndam Prison as a group of Watchdogs search the place. He doesn't seem to have a reaction, keeping his walls up to hold in the rage or genuinely unbothered? You wouldn't be able to tell. His Supervisor , Beverly, walks over to him, a tablet in hand, she speaks, "He's gone, Bill."

"Obviously. Tell everyone to return to their stations, this was a waste of time."

"You don't seem very concerned, sir."

"That's because I'm not."

"May I ask why?"

Burnside turns to her, smiling, "You don't know what I did to him. I broke him, tore him apart from the inside. He's not "Captain America", he hasn't been for quite a while. The man who we locked up isn't the same man who broke the chains." He pauses, turning to Beverly, "He's no threat. We can continue as planned. Tell the Sons that."

She nods, pulling her phone out and walking away.

* * *

 **The Bunker, Beneath Pax Americana**

The masked Captain America stands, commanding a large group of prisoners from Wyndam Prison. Sam Wilson, the Falcon, sits to the side next to the new Bucky, who continues to sharpen a knife. Next in line sits Steve Rogers, who watches the young man drive a piece of stone against the thin piece of metal. The Captain heads over to his two allies, Wilson cutting him off before he can say anything, "He still hasn't spoken a word, Cap."

The Captain kneels over to Steve Rogers, who refuses to make eye contact. Cap speaks, "Captain Rogers."

"Captain America." Steve sighs. "What the hell is this?"

"This is our... home of sorts. The bunker. Beneath Pax."

"I got that." Rogers says, his tone becoming a lot harsher and his voice growing louder, "I meant- What are you doing? Who the hell even are you?"

Captain America unmasks himself, dropping his cowl to the floor. "My name is Jack Monroe. Back when you were in Wyndam, the American government revived Operation Rebirth, choosing one man to take the shield... and that was me. General Burnside oversaw the project- and it worked."

"Continue."

"I assume you know about what's happening in Pax Americana, right?" Steve stays silent, Monroe carrying on, "Well. I-you-we ALL know we need you more than ever. This damn country's been falling apart ever since you... did what you did. Ever since they locked you up. We need you to take the shield again."

Steve chuckles, looking up at Monroe, Wilson, Bucky and Jack exchanging looks of confusion, "You want me to lead a revolution? You lock me up for 70 goddamn years and now you come running to me for help? No. No, I'm not going to help you. I'm getting the hell out of this goddamn country and when I do, I'm never going to turn back. Ever."

Jack Monroe rises, putting his hands on his belt buckle, Rogers looking up at him angrily. "Come with me, then."

The two walk for a while until reaching a seemingly endless, black tunnel. Both of them turn to it, Monroe pointing into the dark. "Alright. The tunnel leads to NYC, if you really mean what you say... there's your escape." Monroe clicks his fingers, Bucky bringing a backpack. "Clothes, supplies... and a couple hundred dollars."

"You've been preparing for this?"

"We... I expected you to be a little pissed after being locked up for 70 years."

Steve pokes his eyes into the bag, a replica of the traditional Captain America suit at the very top of the pile. "A little." Roger sighs, walking off into the dark. Monroe walks back into the light of the bunker, Wilson and Bucky greeting him. Wilson remarks, "This is the saint you were talking about? The original Captain America?"

"He's a different man. I met him, back in the day, when I was a boy. Back when he was in his prime. He was... well, he was the greatest man I ever met. Burnside broke him, made sure he did. Put a news radio in his cell so he could hear what his country turned into while he was locked up in chains." The other two go silent, Monroe continuing, "Back when I met him, he told me one thing. Even when the weight of the world is pressing down on you, when you're ready to give up... you stand up. You always stand up. I think he's forgotten how. But he'll find a way... he always found a way."

* * *

 **The Tunnel**

"Stand up, she said. Stand... up..." Dropping to the floor, back against the wall, Steve begins to pant and sigh. Rubbing his face, he continues to murmur, "God damn. Not another one of these. No. I need to- god damn. God damn."

Rogers grabs his own wrist, his hand shaking. Staring into it, he tries to stop the movement, getting a quick glance of something moving behind it. "Stand up, Steve." Footsteps. "Stand up."

The light of his torch is blocked by a feminine figure, which heads closer to him. A touch to the face, a kiss to the forehead. "Shh. It'll all be alright soon. I'm here, Steve."

"Peg?" Steve cries, his hand touching her face, "You're... you're not here. You're never here."

"No. No, I'm not. But I'll be with you soon enough. You can get on that plane and you can fly over to me, you'll find me. I won't be... quite as young."

"I don't care."

"And you'll meet our little boy. You'll see his face for the very first time."

"I missed 70 years of his life. 70 years I'll never, ever get back with him.I don't even know if he's still alive. Hell, I don't even know if you're still alive."

"I know, but you can make every second count right now- by coming home to us. Stand up, Steve. Stand up."

* * *

 **THE NEXT DAY**

 **New York City**

Steve's eyes open, on instinct dancing around the streets. He lays on a park bench, a coat wrapped around his body and tucked right under his nose. People whizz by him, some giving him a glance and throwing coins at his back. An weight presses down on his feet, someone is sitting on him. He feels a pat on the back, turning and finding a young, around 19 year-old, boy dressed in colourful red and blue uniform and a domino mask at the end of a bench. "Morning, sunshine."

Steve doesn't dare speak to him, rising to his feet and ignoring him as if he wasn't there. James Buchanan Barnes beams at him, just walking over to his old friend, "Come on, we've a plane to catch."

The old Captain lumbers along the street, using lamppost and telephone boxes to support his weight every now and again. The boy in blue follows him, trying to make conversation. "Do you remember what Burnside said to you? "I'm gonna make sure you never existed- you and your little friend. No war memorials, no record of either of your existence." Do you remember that, old friend?" The Captain breaks, nodding back at the ghost from his head. "There's a war memorial just by the bridge to Pax, I'd like to see if I was remembered. Could we?"

Steve turns away from him, silently accepting and taking a little detour.

He walks the streets of NYC for almost an hour until reaching a garden full of names, he circles around it for half an hour. Searching and searching, James Buchanan Barnes, he prays for his friend to be honoured in some shape or form. The boy's "ghost" steps behind him, putting his hand on his shoulder. "It's useless, Steve."

Rogers pulls his hand out, scratching his nail against an empty space on one of the memorial statues. At the very bottom, in a very crude manner, a name reads "James Buchanan Barnes". He stares at it for a second, looking around to see if anyone caught him. As he does that, he catches something in the corner of his eye, a mass of people near the bridge. Turning to it, he finds them holding signs and chanting "Free Pax".

He takes a breath, turning a blind eye to it.

* * *

 **SEVENTY FOUR YEARS EARLIER**

"Rogers. Rogers? You're not serious, Reinstein. You're joking, aren't you?"

"Do I look like I am joking, General Burnside?"

"No... and that's what scares the hell out of me. You're going to waste our miracle super steroid on Steve Rogers of all people?" Burnside holds a bottle of bourbon in his hand, pouring it into Dr. Abraham Reinstein's glass. He chuckles at the German doctor, taking a sip right from the bottle. "You're insane."

"You may be right. But the boy... the boy is special. I can tell- you can tell- he is not in this for the war."

"If you're not in it for the war, you're not in it. Simple as that. I don't even know why you vouched for the kid."

"If you're in our... organisation... for the war, you're not in our organisation. This boy wants to stop bullies, end the violence and that is why we need him. These others, they want violence, they live for it. We are here to end that cycle of violence."

"Hey. I want peace more than anything, you know if I could end this now, I would. Hell, sign me up for Operation Rebirth."

"Ha. But you are, as they say, an asshole. We don't pick assholes to end conflict. Assholes create conflict."

"You're seriously going to use the word "asshole" in one of your profound statements? Only you. Only you, Dr. Abraham Reinstein."

"What we need is someone who is going to stand up to 'assholes'."

* * *

 **The Watchtower, The Centre of Pax Americana**

Bright and beautiful, the city of Pax Americana stands before it's emperor, William Burnside. He reminisces and remembers, the fire, the bloodshed and the hope that they gave him. Now, he stands at the point of no return. In his hand he holds a small syringe, an impure version of the super soldier serum, he's been on it for almost three quarters of a decade. To his side, on his desk, a Beretta 92. Jabbing the syringe into his neck, he grabs the gun, his head twitching a bit. Burnside turns, a large door at the back of the room, he heads to it. His hand grabs the doorknob, he opens the door slightly but not far enough to alert those inside the room.

In the centre of the room stands Beverly, a stone faced shell of a woman, she talks to someone on a giant screen, Burnside listening in on their conversation. At each end of the room stand her personal guards.

Burnside closes his eyes, knocking down the door and shooting both of her guards before they can even pull their guns out. The woman turns to Burnside, "Burnside."

"Beverly."

"Do this and you're signing your own death certificate." She says, Burnside pausing for a second. "What exactly do you think you're doing!?"

"Standing up. Breaking free." Burnside mutters as he fires his gun, a bullet eating its way through the head of his supervisor. He turns to the face on the screen, "Hi."

"What is this, Burnside?"

"A declaration of war. I have an entire army of super soldiers under my control. Today is the day America breaks free from you. Today is the day we stand." Burnside pulls his cell phone from the pocket in his blazer and makes a call. "It's time."

* * *

 **World War II Memorial, near the bridge to Pax Americana**

An explosion, Steve guards his face, the wall closing off the bridge between New York and Pax falling apart, and from the smoke, a tank appears. Watchdogs march onto New York City, firing warning shots into the air. Burnside's invasion has begun. Another ghost from his past appears, this time taking the appearance of a small and sickly woman. Kneeling, Steve looks into the bag Monroe handed him, the Captain America suit staring back into him. The woman puts her hand on his shoulder, Steve mutters, "Mother."

"Now's the time, Steve."

"Yes, mother."

... _ **BLAM...!**_


End file.
